Creamy flavor-packed, this pesto chicken salad recipe is one of those low carb recipes that enlightens and delights!
Seriously friends could low carb salads be any tastier than herbaceous pesto and creamy chicken salad?! Answer… NO!
This low carb chicken salad is fantastic any way you serve it… Put it on a bed of greens, in a wrap, on a sandwich, or even in a mason jar. Let’s get started…
Looking for more keto lunch ideas? Check out my keto chicken salad, Chinese chicken salad, or my curry chicken salad.
What I Love About This Pesto Chicken Salad Recipe
This pesto chicken salad recipe is the totally bold and succulent rendition of chicken salads, and I love everything about it! I love that it gives people an herbalicious option for a healthy flavorful chicken salad.
Here are even more reasons to love it.
- Refreshing and robust
- 17 grams of protein per serving
- Plenty of texture combinations
- 20 minutes to done
- Lots of ways to serve it
Healthy Chicken Salad Recipe Notes
In my opinion, making this pesto chicken salad recipe is one of the best ways to enjoy Italian chicken recipes. It’s light and lively and just plain delicious!
*Pro Tip: However you make your salad recipes, it’s best to let it sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving. This gives all the flavors time to mingle and really get acquainted for a smooth cohesive flavor profile.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken – Use whatever cooked chicken you have on hand or can make quickly! I usually just poach chicken right before tossing the salad together.
You can also use rotisserie chicken for a rotisserie chicken salad, or canned chicken.
Greek Yogurt – This recipe calls for keto greek yogurt and it does give it a light refreshing flavor. BUT, if you need to save a few carbs you can switch the yogurt out for mayo instead.
Personally, I love Greek yogurt chicken salad as I find it’s just as creamy as mayo, but lower in fat and higher in protein
Tomatoes – Cherry tomatoes also add a nice burst of sunshine to this recipe. Cutting them in quarters makes them manageable and there’s no chasing them around with your fork! That way you can get just the right amount in every tasty bite!
Pesto – Grab a jar of your favorite! I love Trader Joe’s pesto from the refrigerator section.
Another thing we need to talk about is the sea salt. I add this because the pesto I use for this pesto chicken salad recipe is very lightly salted. If your pesto is more generously salted, you may not need to add any more.
Tools To Make
Making this pesto chicken salad recipe is so super simple and you don’t need any crazy equipment! It only takes a few things from your kitchen cabinets. Here’s the rundown:
- Small and large bowl for mixing
- Spoon or rubber spatula
- Knife for chopping
- Saran wrap or covered container to store for the week’s healthy lunch ideas.
See? Easy Peesy!
Storing Tips
Storing your pesto chicken salad recipe is simple. Put it in an airtight container with a secure lid and toss it in the fridge.
Viola! I like to divvy mine up into single-serve portions and put them in mason jars. That way I can just grab them and go on busy days. Plus, I’ve got something prepared if friends happen to drop by.
Can You Freeze This?
Unfortunately, you can’t freeze this pesto chicken salad recipe. The crisp summer veggies and Greek yogurt just don’t freeze well. You can portion up the chicken and freeze it ahead of time if that helps with meal prep.
Serving Recommendations
Eat this pesto chicken salad any way you’re craving! Some of my favorites include:
- Making a chicken salad sandwich with keto bread, or your bread of choice!
- Serving it over a bed of greens for a flavor packed salad.
- Scooping it up with keto crackers or keto chips.
Recipe Variations
Changing your pesto chicken salad recipe is as easy as listening to your taste buds. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Add Fruit. Add some keto fruits like this avocado chicken salad, by substituting avocado for the Greek yogurt.
- Swap the dressings. There are literally hundreds of ways to make salad dressing. If pesto isn’t your jam, perhaps you’d enjoy a BBQ chicken salad or a honey mustard chicken salad? Simply swap the pesto for either dressing and taste test until you get the ratios to your liking!
- Add whatever keto vegetables you love. Chicken salad is an awesome way to sneak them in… I like using subtle tasting veggies — think baby kale salad or spinach salad. Both of those leafy greens can be chopped up and added to the mix without hardly any change in flavor.
More Keto Salad Recipes
Making keto salad is an awesome way to enjoy a myriad of healthy chicken recipes without wrecking your low carb diet plan. They’re protein packed and typically pretty easy to throw together:
- Canned Chicken Salad
- Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad
- Greek Chicken Salad
- Keto Taco Salad
- Strawberry Salad
Pesto Chicken Salad
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
Dressing
- 1/4 Cup Greek Yogurt
- 3/4 Cup Pesto
- 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt (depending on how much salt is in your pesto! Mine is very lightly salted so I added this in)
Salad
- 3 Cups Chicken Breast chopped
- 1/2 Cup Celery finely chopped
- 1/4 Cup Red Onion finely chopped
- 1/2 Cup Pinenuts
- 1/2 Cup Cherry Tomatoes Quartered
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients.
- In a large bowl, combine the salad ingredients.
- Pour the dressing over the salad, and stir to combine.
- Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes so the flavors combine, and enjoy!
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Lindsey's Tips
- Nutritional information is based on 1 serving, if you divide this recipe into 5 servings:
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